Wire stretcher and splicer.



H. P. BONESTEELE.

WIRE STRETGHER AND SPLIGER.

APPLIOATIOI nun 00124, 1905.

Patented Oct. 20, 1908'.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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H. r. BONESTEELE.

WIRE STRETOHBB AND SPLIGEB.

APPLICATION FILED 001. 24, 1906.

' Patented Oct. 20, 1908.

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HARRY F. BONESTEELE, OF snANNoN, MONTANA.

WIRE STRETGHER AND SPLICER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 20, 1908.

Application filed. October 24, 1906. Serial No. 284,227.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY F. BONESTEELE,

a citizen of the United States, residing at.

kind described and one that may be conveniently used when desired for splicing barbed fencing wire.

To this end my invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement, and combination of parts herein shown and described and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings wherein like or similar reference characters indicate like or corresponding parts :F igure 1 is a plan view of my device. Fig. 2 is a section on line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged section taken substantially on line 33 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a section taken substantially on line 4r-4: of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a plan view of a modified form of my device. Fig. 6 is anelevation of another modified form of my splicer. Fig.7 is a plan view of the form shown in Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is an elevation of the form shown in Figs. 1 and 2 with the parts moved. to form the first bend of the splice, and Fig. 9 is an elevation of the form shown in Figs. 6 and 7 as moved to form the first bend of the splice.

In the preferred form, shown in Figs 1 and 2 my device consists of two frames plvotally connected near one end of each. and so proportioned that the frame 1 may be positioned between, and lie in the plane of, the sides of the frame 2.

Near the free end of each frame means are provided for drawing in or tightening a wire, cord, or similar element of a structure. As shown upon the frame 1 a rotatable pin 3 is mounted in suitable bearings for this purpose. The portion of the pin between the sides of the frame is suitably formed to operate as a drum upon which a wire or similar element may be wound to draw in or tighten the same, the ends of the pin being suitably formed to prevent its accidental displacement. Means may also be provided upon one end for suitably engaging the pin to operate the same. As shown one end of the pin is enlarged and provided with an opening 4: into which a suitable rod or bar may be inserted for this purpose.

Near the free end of the frame 2, in the form shown, the sides are brought comparatively close together and each provided with a series of ratchet teeth upon each edge. A lever 5 provided with suitable spring actuated pawls 66 is inserted in the opening between the sides of the frame 2, with the pawls 6 in position to engage the ratchet teeth. When thus arranged it is evident that by operating the lever 5 the pawls 66 will alternately engage the ratchet teeth on the opposite edges of the frame and the lever will be moved toward the free end of the frame.

An eye 7 or other convenient means is pro vided upon the lever 5' as shown for conveniently attaching a wire or the like thereto.

Substantially in line between the pivots 88 connecting the frames 1 and 2 a hook 9 is preferably provided and may be attached to either the frame 1 or 2 as found convenient, in the drawings it is shown attached to the frame 1. This hook 9 may be of any desired form that shown being preferred; its object is to serve as a guide to determine the position of the end of the loop in a wire to be spliced, and, where a plain splice wire is used, may be used to engage the splicer with the looped wire as shown in Figs. 5, 6, and 7 lNhere however a barbed or rough wire is to be employed as a splice wire, it is evident that the tension of the loop upon the hook 9 will tend to cause the sides of the loop to engage the barbs or other projections upon the splice wire and thus cause inconvenience and delay. To avoid this a clamp 10 is preferably provided upon the frame 1 at any convenient point between its ends to engage the body of the looped wire and thus leave the loop entirely free.

Any desired form of clamp may be employed. That shown in the drawings being one form of the well known three ball clamp which consists, in the form shown, of three balls 11, mounted in a suitable cage 12 ar-- ranged to maintain the balls in a plane at right angles to the axis of a tapering socket 14:, resilient means being provided to draw the cage and the balls toward the small end of the socket. A slot 15 is provided through the outer wall of the socket 14 and the cage 12 sothat a wire or the like may be inserted laterally into a position between the balls and it is evident that when so positioned any movement of the wire toward the small end of the socket is effectually prevented by the clamping action of the balls.

In my device the small end of the socket 14-, which is arranged longitudinally of the frame 1, is toward the free end of the frame, or the end in which the pin 3 is positioned.

In operation suppose it is desired to con nect two wires 16 and 17 which form part of a fence and are respectively attached to adjacent posts. The first step is preferably to form a loop 18 with the end of one of the wires as 16 and, if the wire 17 is not of sufficient length to form the splice satisfactorily, attach in any suitable manner an extension or splice wire 19 thereto. My splicer may now be applied; if a barbed or rough. splice wire 19 is employed the looped wire 16 should be inserted in the clamp 10 leaving the loop 18 free and so positioned that when longitudinally extended the end of the loop will reach to a point near the throat of the hook 9. The splice wire 19 is now passed through the loop 18 and preferably carried back to the eye 7, and after drawing the wires as tight as convenient by hand fastened thereto. The lever 5 may now be operated as heretofore described to produce any desired tension in the wires, after which the frame 1 is retained in position while the frame 2 is partially rotated upon its pivotal connection with the frame 1 as shown in Fig. 8 thus forming a short bend in the wire 19 about the end wire of the loop 18. The wire 19 is then released from the eye 7 suitably tied and any unnecessary surplus of the wire 19 cut off as desired.

lVhere a smooth or plain splice wire 19 is employed the operation is the same ex cept that instead of engaging the wire 19 with the clamp 10, the loop 18 may be engaged with the hook 9 and in place of attaching the splice wire 19 to the eye 7 in the lever 5 it may be inserted in the eye 7 in the rotary pin 3 which may then be rotated to produce the necessary tension in the wire after which the entire stretcher is rotated upon the end wire of the loop 18, as shown with a modified form of splicer in Fig. 9.

Under ordinary circumstances a plain smooth splice wire is entirely satisfactory even in fences, or similar structures, where the main wires are barbed, and in such cases the rivets or bolts 88 may be removed and the frame 1 employed alone or, the less complicated splicers, shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7, may be used.

In Fig. 5 a splicer is shown consisting substantially of the frame 1 without the clamp 10 and having a plain bar 21 extending beside the hook 9 so that the splice when made may be positioned between the bar and hook to prevent its rotation when twisting or tying the wires. 7

In Figs. 6 and 7, a single straight bar 20 is employed with the hook 9 formed upon one end, and ratchet teeth, a lever, and pawls, arranged at the opposite end. The operation is substantially the same as in the splicers heretofore shown and described, and a further description is considered unnecessary.

Having thus described my improvement, it is obvious that various slight modifications may be made in my device without departing from the spirit of my invention, hence I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the exact form and construction shown.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A device of the kind described, comprising a frame provided with a hook at one end, and a clutch for engaging a wire, in combination with a second frame pivotally connected to said first frame and carrying a tensioning device comprising aseries of ratchet teeth, a lever provided with pawls' for engaging said teeth and means for attaching a second wire to said lever.

52. A device of the kind described, comprising a frame provided with a hook at one end, and a clutch for engaging a wire, in

combination with a second frame pivotally connected to said first frame near the hook end thereof and carrying near its free end a tensioning device comprising a plurality of series of ratchet teeth, a lever provided with a plurality of spring actuated pawls for engaging said teeth, and means for attaching a second wire to said lever.

3. A device of the kind described, com- 1, )r1s1n a frame rovided with means for fixedly en aging a wire, in combination with a second rame pivotally connected to said first frame and provided with means for movably engaging a second wire, whereby two fixed wires may be tensioned for splicing, and then permanently spliced without changing their tension.

4:. A device of the kind described, comprising a frame provided with a hook at one end and aclutch for engaging a wire, in combination with a second frame pivotally connected. to said first frame and carrying a tensioning device comprising a series of ratchet teeth, a lever provided with pawls for engaging said teeth and means for attaching a second wire to said lever.

5. In a device of the kind described, a frame provided with means for engaging a wire, and a hook for partially controlling the position of said wire in said frame, in combination with tensioning means attached to said frame and means for engaging a second wire with said tensioning means.

6. A device of the kind described, comprising a frame provided with a hook at one end, and a clutch for engaging a wire, in combination with a tensioning device comprising a plurality of series of ratchet teeth formed upon a member connected to said clutch, a lever provided with pawls for engaging said teeth and means for attaching a wire to said lever.

7. In a device of the kind described, a frame provided with means for engaging a looped wire above the loop, and a hook for partially controlling the position of said loop in the frame, in combination with tensioning means attached to said frame, and means for engaging a second wire with said tensioning means.

8. In a device of the kind described, a frame provided with a clutch for engaging a wire, and a hook for partially controlling the position of said wire in said frame, in combination with tensioning means attached to said frame, and means forengaging a second wire with said tensioning means.

9. In a device of the kind described, a frame provided with means for automatically engaging a wire to prevent its longitudinal movement, and means for engaging the looped end of said wire to partially con trol the position of the loop in said frame, in combination with tensioning means attached to said frame and means for engaging a second wire with said tensioning means.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HARRY I BONESTEELE.

Witnesses:

BURTON U. HILIJS, CHARLES I. COBB. 

